In the play Chushingura, retainers have the highest respect for their masters. Retainers in this play will fight to the death to honor their masters. Loyalty is expected of each retainer even if the samurai must disturb public order to honor their master’s name.
Enya’s retainers stay loyal to him even after his death. Forty-seven men swore to revenge their master’s death, risking their lives and disturbing public order. Even when a retainer fails his duty, he will seppuku so to die honorable for his failure. For example, Kampei believes he has shot his father in law because of the bag of gold the mistress described that Yoichibei was carrying. In reality Kamei shot Yoichibei’s killer, but ironically Kampei believes he has shot Yoichibei himself. Kampei seppuku’s for a horrible crime that he unknowingly didn’t commit because it was so dishonorable to him. Suicide was his only way to die with any honor. Kampei portrayed so much loyalty for his family that when he believes he has failed, he commits suicide. Kampei is allowed to join the attack on Moronao after the retainers see his loyalty to his family. Enya, on his deathbed, tells Yuranosuke to avenge his death. Now it is Yuranosuke’s duty to fulfill his master’s request. Enya’s loyal retainers form a group of forty-seven men and conspire to kill Moronao to honor their master. The retainers wear black and white coats that symbolize unfailing loyalty when they invade Moronao’s compound and behead him. Samurai’s have a duty to be loyal and fulfill the request of his master.
Justice is a theme that the play implies about the samurai. Throughout the play Moronao insulted people, so in the ending, Enya’s retainers serve justice. For example, Moronao insults Wakasanosuke because lady Kaoyo turns him down. Wakasanosuke plans to kill him and is ready to
In the ancient Japanese culture, one great aspect was on how they emphasized on the intrinsic themes of loyalty and honor. They had fierce warriors known as samurai’s. A samurai was a traditional warrior who would protect and be loyal to their masters no matter what. They were known to be skilled soldiers, benevolent men, self-sacrifice, sense of shame, along with other major characteristics that embodied them as a samurai. While this class of warrior no longer exist today, the remembrance of a samurai is present in the minds of the characters in the novel, The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. Tsukiyama does a fascinating piece of work by really elaborating and describing the great attributes that Matsu possess of a true samurai. In the
Men must face hardships. Men must face disease. Men must face each other [Parallel]. Men constantly pressure one another into perfection. Some men, however, crumble under the burden looming over their heads [FoS]. When some men cannot face themselves or those around them any longer, they choose a dangerous and deadly escape. They would rather commit suicide than face their hardships. In the japanese culture, society encouraged seppuku to end a life before a man brought dishonor to his family. In a world full of yearning for honor, young men learned that they must express courage through suicide to fulfill their honorable ancestors’ wishes. Gail Tsukiyama uses her novel The Samurai’s Garden to prove that only
Samurai's core value is not humiliating myself. They would even rather end their own lives if they had to put up with humiliation. For example, if their daimyo died or if they lost a battle, they committed seppuku “stomach- or abdomen-cutting”, which is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. They did this to die in honor. Furthermore, Samurai had to follow some rules called “Bushido”,which means “The way of the warriors”. The rules include fidelity, politeness, virility, and simplicity. While, knight's core value is not to commit a sin. Knights often believe killing himself is a sin, this is because of influence of Christianity. They would rather suffer being alive than to commit suicide. Knights also had to follow a set of strict rules called Chivalry, which puts emphasis on justice, loyalty, defense, courage, faith, humility, and nobility.
While discussing escape plans with the other section leaders, Cpl. Hotei, says, '"There is not a single coward of that kind in my section. We're all ready to die defying any such order. That's the fighting spirit of Japan'" (Asada 17). This quote defines the spirit of the extremist views of a Japanese soldier. To be captured meant dishonor for them as well as their families. This extremist view is also displayed in the Samurai's motto: '"The way of the Samurai was the way of death"' (Asada 17).
The story concludes not only with two physical killings but the moral death of the character as well. The character was apt to take the law into his own hand to avenge and protect his family. There is no abstract moral judgment but it is clear that the psychic price of the action comes high.
Before the war years, Kabuo's father, Zenhichi made an illegal agreement with the victim's father, Carl Heine senior. It was an agreement to an eight-year “lease-to-own” contract. Money changed hands, land was promised and terms were set. Unfortunately, the war came and the Japanese Americans were sent away to internment camp. Nothing was quite the same at wars end. When the Miyamoto has returned to claim their land, they had found out that the victim’s mother, Etta, cheated them. She sold their seven acres of strawberry land to another farmer, because of lack of the last payment during their removal. This disreputable action she took, was caused by her racist thoughts that she had toward Japanese. This has been demonstrated out in her conversation with her husband, she said, “We’re not such paupers as to sell to Japs, are we? For new clothes? For a pouch of fancy pipe tobacco?” (Guterson 119). Because of her being racist, it had cost the land of the Miyamoto and raised tension between the two families and created a motive for Kabuo to commit murder to Etta’s son as for revenge and to release his anger.
... As in the case of the warrior Nobutsura, whose life was spared after Kiyomori was given an account of Nobutsura’s meritorious reputation. Warriors would take time to justify why they are unable to save them from execution, as Yortiomo did with Munemori. Yoritomo elucidated “it is impossible for anyone born in this country to disregard imperial edict.” It is the actions of these warriors that exhibit characteristics of people who kill purely for duty.
In Hagakure, a great emphasis is placed on the samurai's approach towards death. The relationship between death and the samurai can not be understated. Death is inevitable, and an honorable death is the most desirable thing a samurai could hope for. The samurai should live his life as though his body is already dead, and through this "he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling". If a samurai lives his life as though his body is already dead, he will have not have to worry about actually dying. Once you have conquered death, the most inevitable and unconquerable part of existence, then you can conquer anything. If a samurai can conquer this most fundamental thing, then he will be successful in reaching his goal. Death is all-encompassing in samurai philosophy, and by understanding this we can make comparisons between the samurai and another important denomination in Japan at the time, the Buddhists.
Within The Revenger’s Tragedy, thematic concepts such as women and justice serve to represent the social and literary context of the play, but to also offer society a reflection of itself. The role of women in the play reflects society’s place for them, while justice is used to offer the corrupt society a representation of itself, and show that the Natural Order will be righted.
In the two novellas No One Writes to the Colonel and Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Garcia-Marquez shows the complexity involved in the pursuit of honor. He explains through his writings that preserving honor is essential to live, but can be very harmful to others. The pursuit of honor can cause complex and difficult situations that can either benefit or harm others in a society. It can cause people to either live a truthful life or a false life run by lies and illusion. In the process of attaining honor strong relationships and friendships can fall apart. The pursuit of honor can give liveliness and vigor to people or put them people into a state of paralysis.
... as anything more than simple entertainment. I think this play was trying to communicate that revenge is not the best option. Although every situation is different, usually when one takes revenge against someone they end up negatively affected or right where they didn’t want to be in the first place.
The acts that were done by both the antagonists were unjust. Both the play and movie started with a bond of trust between the protagonist and antagonist, while the antagonist had the upper hand of the intention of betrayal and succeeded.
In a culture focused so decidedly on status, it is natural that historical Japanese society would place great importance on relationships between its members. These interpersonal connections helped to define and solidify a person’s position just as much, if not more so, than did their birth. Thus, the attribute of loyalty was highly valued as it was essential to creating an environment of complex alliances within both the Heian court of Genji and later between the samurai of the shogunates in Jōkyūki. In both cases, these social treaties were important forms of protection and power in battle, political and literal. Therefore, loyalty in daily interactions became an almost fetishized virtuosity symptomatic of the larger trend of fidelity in
... (Thapar 190-1). Sakuntala was destined to have a happy ending with the King no matter the hardships they faced. The atmosphere around the play was representative of what was to happen in the play.
The moral of the story is that everyone is rewarded or punished for their action or conduct to others. I think that justice has been done with all of the main characters, but the minor characters such as Molly and William, for differing reasons, have not had justice.